Thursday, January 2, 2014

What better way to start the year than with a couple of videos from cachers, starting with this little video from Joshua Johnson, the World famous Geocaching Vlogger. He does an amazing job with his own videos. Certainly the right person to put together a little collection to share.

Joshua is a true family guy and pushes his limits a bit with his sharing of GeoPat92's little bit from a 'naked geocache', on his Best Geocaching Videos of 2013. Never fear - he maintains his G rating by limiting what is shown. It is guaranteed to add a chuckle to your day.

Also on the vid is little bits from Mark Wereley who documented an amazing cache. AndGeoDave, who is a new Vlogger who is extremely entertaining and Frederick from Sweden, who is an award winning video cacher.

I have been a fan of WarCatfor the past couple years. When I think extreme geocacher, I think of this guy. I guess I live vicariously thru him, as he does the caches that only dream of ever doing. I don't have a fear of heights or caves, but it just isn't physically possible for me. Take a look at a couple of WarCat's adventures.

WarCat really knows how to put on a show. Not only are his caches amazing, but the photography and the music are amazing too. To top it all off, he goes for the cache and really doesn't reveal where it is hidden. Bet you noticed that when he was repelling off the bridge and thru the tree limbs. I am wondering if he mostly caches in France.

And just a couple more that are from 2013 (the cache may have been found in 2012 but vids popped in, or close to, 2013) that are pretty neat. One from Columbia that looks like something I would like to add to my Geocaching Bucket List. Not only is it interesting but such a beautiful area. About as different as it could be from the dessert that I live in. You'll love this adventure.

And just one more that is super neat. It's a bit long but well worth it. If you have never been caching in the South of Wales, you will definitely enjoy. What a way to celebrate a birthday.

These vids should inspire you to make big plans for your geocaching in 2014. Invite friends and take family - make it an unforgettable year. And by all means - please share your stories.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The Geocaching Blog always has some great post and this is just one of them. Check this out.

6 Tips for Finding a Geocache in an Environmentally Friendly Way

In Geocaching in Harmony with Nature (Part 1), we gave you tips and tricks on how to hide an environmentally friendly geocache. A wise geocacher once said: “If you hide a geocache, someone will come and find it.” So this time we want to take a look at how to be a Nature Lover when hunting for a geocache.
We asked the geocaching community, Geocaching HQ-ers and Volunteer Reviewers for their tip-top tips on being kind to nature when searching for a geocache. Then we combined all the great answers into this list:

Come prepared. When planning for a geocaching trip, make sure to read the geocache description carefully. This way you’ll know the regulations and concerns for the area before you visit. Be informed about the seasonal changes in your area. Do not visit caves in which bears or bats hibernate during autumn and winter and do not disturb breeding habitats. Before searching for a night cache in the woods, check in with park rangers or land management to make sure that this is safe for you and for the natural area.
Stay on track. Stick to designated trails and don’t cut across switchbacks when navigating to the geocache. Doing so might disturb flora and fauna along the way.
Bring garbage bags. Geocacher Cindi Lee G. says: “We cache in and trash out every time we go geocaching or hiking.” We think that’s grand! Next time you go geocaching, include a few garbage bags with your geocaching gear. This way you can pick up litter on the way to and from the geocache. And here is something we think is genius: there are some geocaches with an extra compartment for trash bags geocachers can use to Cache In Trash Out (CITO) on their way back out.
Leave the car at home. If possible, bike or walk to the geocache location. This is not only great for your health and good for the environment, the slower pace might even make you notice things along the way you would have never seen speeding by in your car.
bear Keep geocache owners informed. Let the geocache owner know if their geocache is damaged and could potentially be dangerous to animals or vegetation.
Respect wildlife and plants. Observe wild animals from afar. Never feed or try to touch them. Be conscious where you are stepping so you don’t destroy fragile plants and mushrooms. Pro-Tip from Geocacher Sarah H.: “Please clean your footwear and gear when hiking in various places. Footwear caked in mud and plant material is a good way to spread invasive species.”

It is OK to DNF. You have searched in all the obvious places. You took a good look at the geocache description and the hint, but you still couldn’t find it. Log your DNF (Did Not Find) online to let the geocache owner know that you did not find the geocache. Don’t keep on searching, turning over every stone, and potentially ravaging the area. Keep in mind: A DNF is not admission to failure, it is just honest communication.
We hope these tips will help you sharpen your nature senses and become a skilled environmentally friendly geocacher. Do you have another tip for environmentally friendly geocaching? Let us know in the comments below!
Find out how you can be a complete nature loving geocacher with our 6 Tips for Hiding an Environmentally Friendly Geocache!

These are some great tips. To follow more of the great stories The Geocaching Blog share, just go to directly to their site. Super stuffl

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Nurse in intensive care after being trampled by a herd of cows while taking part in hi-tech sat-nav treasure hunt

Sarah Leonard, 59, trampled by the animals in a Lincolnshire field.
She suffered horrific injuries, including multiple broken bones
Amazingly, she stayed conscious and managed to call 999 on mobile
Paramedics struggled to find her as she didn't know where she was

A 59-year-old nurse has been left in intensive care after being trampled by a herd of cows - while taking part in a treasure hunt.

Sarah Leonard was walking in a field with her dog in North Scarle, Lincolnshire, when the group of animals charged, leaving her with life-threatening injuries. She suffered two broken arms, a broken collarbone, a broken jaw and several broken ribs in the terrifying stampede on Saturday afternoon.
Incredibly, Sarah bravely managed to dial 999 herself but it took paramedics 30 minutes to find her as she did not know where she was. She was rushed to Lincoln County Hospital where she today remained in a stable condition after several operations to save her life.

Yesterday her worried brother, Andrew Leonard, 62, said: 'She is now very slowly on the mend.'
Sarah, from Norton, Sheffield, had been 'geocaching' - an internet-based high-tech treasure hunt which uses GPS.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said: 'We received a call from a woman saying she had been injured and was lying in a field. Although she didn’t know exactly where she was, within half-an-hour her car was located at North Scarle cemetery. And she was found in the field off Church Lane in the village soon after. The woman was in quite a bad way, with severe injuries including a broken jaw and other fractures. Sarah’s pet King Charles spaniel Megs was uninjured after she ran off when around a dozen cows charged at them at around 3.25pm.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

No search of haunted caches would be complete without the mention of Sleepy Hollow. The legend is popular. The stories are abundant. Who knows if they are true or somewhat made up, but who wants to challenge it?

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Written by me, Geoffrey Crayon
Published in my 1820 Sketch Book
Poor Ichabod Crane the school teacher, falling in love with a rich farmer's daughter Katrina Van Tassel, getting into a skirmish with the town rowdy Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt, and eventually chased out of town by the Headless Horseman, never to be seen again beyond the bridge over the Pocantico River right here in Sleepy Hollow.

Can you solve the mystery of what really happened on that fateful night?

To begin, some online research may be required, unless you know my short story. The North coordinate relates to the fiction while the West coordinate relates to the opposite. When you arrive in town, park near the I.P. Here you will see one awesome sculpture depicting my famous scene. Now where did that Ichabod Crane run off to? Figure out the clues using nearby signage and see if you can locate my final stash!

Moving on to The Pathfinder, GC2NWT4,which is located on the edge of the legendary cemetery, and again done by BriGuyNY.Check this simple, during the warmer months, geocache.

Geocache Description:A small pull-off area on Route 9's Northbound side with a historical marker paying tribute to a man named John C. Fremont.

Like you and me, John C. Fremont went on expeditions. Unlike you and me, his expeditions were for warfare, whereas our expeditions are for geocaches. This is how he gained his nickname, "The Pathfinder" (Click Here for more details). Unfortunately he saw little success during his later years and thus died as a forgotten man. Don't worry John, we know you'd be geocaching if you were still here, and we'll always remember you.

In memory of John C. Fremont there is a Cold Spring at this location. You do not need to go in the cemetery to find this cache. Also be careful since the pull-off is small and comfortably fits only 1 geo-mobile at a time. This spot is minimally plowed during the winter months.

Question here - does anybody really think that a simple little fence keeps the spirits inside the cemetery. Think about this when caching on the outer edges of any graveyard.

Any true geocacher will want to spend some time in the area doing a couple of series that are right there close to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. They are both to extensive to describe them all but I will tell you where to start on each.

And then there is the series, the OCATT, that is again done by BriGuyNY. This is a very ambitious series, spanning over 30 miles, and yet still cacher friendly as it can do done any time of the year.

OCATT standsfor Old Croton Aqueduct Tribute Trail. This is a tribute trail for all geocachers who live and/or geocache within the confines of Westchester County in the great state of New York. Caches reach from Croton's Reservoir Dam to NYC's High Bridge. Check out GC2R761, OCATT - Hikerguy1, for the beginning of info on this series.

Wanting to keep close to the Halloween theme today, instead of searching out more caches, I will just finish up with photos from Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Some are pretty. Some are creepy. All show an area that would be pretty scary after dark.

Could this be a family affair?

Beautiful in the snow!

Is that a 'shadow' or someone something a bit creepier?

Angelic or something else?

This just may be the way some cachers feel after a long day of searching.